Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP):2015: 0.535SNIP measures contextual citation impact by weighting citations based on the total number of citations in a subject field.

Impact per Publication (IPP): 0.512

Impact per Publication (IPP):2015: 0.512The Impact per Publication measures the average number of citations received in a particular year by papers published in the journal during the three preceding years.

SCImago Journal Rank (SJR): 0.28

SCImago Journal Rank (SJR):2016: 0.28SJR is a prestige metric based on the idea that not all citations are the same. SJR uses a similar algorithm as the Google page rank; it provides a quantitative and a qualitative measure of the journal’s impact.

A SURVEY OF DRUG-RELATED-PROBLEMS AMONG PATIENTS TREATED FOR ALLERGY SYMPTOMS IN COMMUNITY PHARMACIES AT NEGERI SEMBILAN, MALAYSIA

Jamunarani Appalasamy, Azmi Sarriff

Abstract

Objectives: Patients treated for allergy symptoms are at risk of acquiring drug-related problems (DRPs), as they require various types and forms of medications. Inappropriate therapeutic management of allergy symptoms could lead to the complication of diseases such as asthma and diabetes. To date, DRPs among patients treated for allergy symptoms have not been well established in Malaysia especially in community pharmacies setting. The main objective of this study is to identify factors and medications associated with DRPs among patients treated for allergy symptoms in community pharmacies.

Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted in community pharmacies in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia from June 2011 to April 2012. The Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe Classification Version (PCNE) 6.2 was used as a tool to classify DRPs.

Results: A total of 378 patients were recruited according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 792DRPs were found; an average of 1.97 (SD = 1.6) DRP per patient. Significant DRP association (p<0.05) was detected from the usage of corticosteroids and antihistamines. Meanwhile, poly pharmacy and forgetfulness were factors significantly associated (p<0.05) as causes of DRPs.

Conclusion: There is a high occurrence of DRPs among patients who are treated for allergy symptoms. Identifying types and causes of DRPs in a community pharmacy would facilitate medication safety awareness among healthcare providers and patients.